Agony
by AngieScalpelz
Summary: Kira has been resurrected as something much more dangerous and L will use his second chance at a life to solve one last case and hopefully save the agonizing soul of someone dear to him. YAOI and rated M for later chapters.
1. Death to the Killer

_Howdy. Well this is a remake of one of my old fanfictions. It is a Bleach/Death Note crossover. The reason why I'm remaking it is because I have a new account and the old version….I reread over it and I wasn't quite happy with the lack of intelligence I put forth into the composition. But that was a year ago! And after a whole year in the best English class I've ever had, I think it will be a thousand times better. I am not going to tell you guys which one it is, but if you guys want to do some exploring go ahead. Some of you might even know what the fanfic is, but I only had like 12 reviews and now I know why. _

_I did not put this in the crossover section because although it is a crossover of setting and character history, it is not a crossover between characters of both stories. You will be seeing Bleach slash pairings but the main pairing is Light and L  
_

_On I go. _

_**Agony**_

_**Chapter 1: Death to the Killer. **_

Every step he took was excruciatingly painful and his strength was slowly diminishing. He truly couldn't comprehend what was happening at the moment because all had happened so fast to the point in which his mind had become too disoriented. All of these thoughts and screaming voices inside his head, pulsating in his mind, were driving him mad. The madness was settling in, the antic disposition had been torn from him. The mask he had used for so long had been ripped away that day in order for all to witness the truth he had been hiding for the past six years. And all by a mere child, a child! It was truly pathetic of him, losing to a child. But deep within the madness it was understandable; the child had been none other than one of _that man's_ pupils.

The time came when he couldn't take the pain any longer. The bullets had burrowed deep within him and they were the source of most of the physical pain. He wanted to keep going, away from the bridge he was taking where he would be easily found. But in truth, the pain was making him struggle in his escape and he knew it wouldn't be long until he collapsed. Reaching the end of the bridge, he sauntered down the steps of a set of stairs dragging his mangled body with weak legs to a close by warehouse. As he walked in, looking up at the high ceilings of building, he dropped down and laid against the steps leading up to the second floor of the warehouse. There he found almost a restful bliss, letting out a quivering breath. From where he lay he could see the twilight sky, and the beautiful hues and colors. The sun was slowly falling over the horizon, extinguishing into night, dying out slowly. Ironic. Did this mean that his life would end also? He convulsed and coughed, blood sputtering down his lips and over his already torn clothes. He closed his eyes in agony and held his chest where it bled, trying to stop the flowing red warmth.

His eyes widened as the inside of his chest became tight with pain. Gasping out for breath was futile. He tried calling out for help but that was also a failed attempt. He looked forward with saddened eyes, his sight becoming fuzzy and darker with the diminishing light. He gasped one more time, a last attempt at finding some sort of survival. This must be how it had felt to the thousands of people he had executed, a fruitless death, reaching out for one last strand of hope. He trembled softly, feeling death settling over him.

And as he fell into inevitable oblivion, he thought he had seen _his_ presence, looking at him with mirroring cheerless eyes.

______________

The human world had always been such a pathetic place especially through the last six years. Aizen Sousuke thought the way people would easily be swayed by the simplest things, lies, deception, or a false god was both sickening and pitiful. If he had the chance, he would never come to this place. In fact, if he had the chance he would even destroy the lowly excuse for a planet, and all of its human corruption. Maybe after annihilating the Soul Society he could move towards the human world. Just a little longer and he would have everything under his control, and his plan would be set in motion.

The reason for his visit to the human world was in order to follow a certain individual. The sudden disappearance of Commander-General Yamamoto had gone unnoticed by most of the Division captains, the exception being Gin, Tousen and himself. He could not deny the fact that he had manipulated his fellow captains' minds with the help of his dear Kyoka Suigetsu. His zanpakutou's powers were always convenient. And so as he traveled above the buildings of the human world, he found himself coming towards an abandoned warehouse, deep within the city slums. Looking around for any signs of the old shinigami, he did not notice the strange presence behind him.

The creature laughed a croaky cackle, grabbing Aizen's curiosity. It couldn't be a hollow or he would have noticed instantly and it couldn't be another Soul Reaper or he would have felt their reiatsu. So he turned, wondering what sort of creature was strong enough to conceal it's presence from him for such a time. But as the captain noticed what it was, he became quite disappointed, "Grimm Reaper, what reasons do you have in following me?" he asked the repulsive creature.

The shinigami cackled in amusement, "You seemed like an interesting fellow, Soul Reaper." The creature was tall and gaunt with a hunched back. Large red eyes inspected Aizen with an almost cynical expression. A grin spread across its face with jagged fangs and a bluish tongue. Aizen had never met one of the Soul Reapers' distant cousins, the Grimm Reapers. _Very distant_, he thought. In truth, without Grimm Reapers, the ones who deliver death to humans, there would be no Soul Reapers and no Hollows, both positive and negative outcomes. Although they both share the title of "Shinigami," death god, there is no doubt that Grimm Reapers came before the Soul Reapers. The most common theory would be that as Grimm Reapers kept killing humans, the population of both hollows and souls began increasing. The souls of humans being the weaker kind would usually fall prey to hollows. But retaliation against the monsters appeared, and the souls of humans became stronger, in the end creating Soul Reapers.

"Is that so?" Aizen asked fully turning to him and giving him a soft smile although there was venom in his words.

"If you are looking for the old guy he's in there, but you better hurry before the kid turns into one of your hollows," the Grimm Reaper said, flapping the wings that extended from his back in order to keep him in mid air.

_Kid?_ "Ah, thank you for the warning, but I am sure both my subordinate and I can deal with it," Aizen said about to turn from the other.

The cackling stopped him once again, "Hee hee hee, don't underestimate him,"

Aizen gave him an inquisitive look and then grinned, "Hmm, that sounds interesting, what is your name Grimm Reaper?" he asked.

"Ryuk," the other simply answered, "And yours?"

"Aizen Sousuke," he in turn answered, "Gotei 13, 5th Division Captain,"

Ryuk chuckled, "Well, _captain_, do what you like with what's left of the kid, the old guy has been standing there for a couple of hours already so I guess it's up to you to decide," he said and then took flight, the beat of his wings creating a strong breeze.

Up to him to decide, Aizen liked how that sounded. Aizen watched as the entity left. He couldn't help but be even more curious as to what the Commander-General was doing at the moment. And who was this person Ryuk had told him not to underestimate? Whoever it was, it must be important, important enough to have the Commander-General of the Gotei 13 come to the human world personally. He descended down to the roof of the warehouse, and through an opening in the rusty metal of the roof he saw the old shinigami, standing with his back straight and gripping tightly on his staff. Aizen knew well enough that this was a sign of concern in the 1st Division captain.

"You can come down if you like Aizen," the old man said. He smiled, knowing well enough that Yamamoto could never be fooled easily. That is why he was taking time with his plot against the Soul Society, making sure to stay on the best interest of the Commander-General. Moving in through an opening in a broken window, he looked up at Yamamoto, who was also looking at him. It was a somber look, not one of suspicion, but he did ask in the end, "What are you doing here, Aizen?"

Aizen had already planned this conversation, "I was worried, Yamamoto-soutaicho," he said in his oh so innocent voice, "I noticed your absence and traced you here to the human world, I was curious as to why you had left without escort or company,"

Yamamoto lowered his gaze down to the ground of the warehouse. The two shinimagi were standing on what seemed like the third floor, boxes, crates, and metal littering the floor. Large cranes sat dormant, their hooks still and rusting. It seemed that nobody had come into that warehouse in quite some time. The warehouse was large, with a high ceiling, and four windows grouped at the corners to create a square on the ceiling of the building in which the light of twilight shone through. The colors were quite beautiful, hues of orange mixed with yellow, and pink and purple clouds creating figures in the sky. Upon further notice, Aizen realized that Yamamoto had not been looking at the ground, but at a stair case leading down from the second floor to the first. It was then that he heard the faint noises, groans and whines. Moving his gaze down to the staircase, he saw that sitting besides the dead body of a young man was an exact replica of that man, only this replica was chained. A soul chain. The man was groaning in pain, holding his chest and gripping tightly. He trembled and finally a scream was released from his lungs, as he arched backwards revealing the cause of his screams.

"Yamamoto-soutaicho….what is this?" Aizen asked. The soul chain was being eaten unusually fast, which meant that soon enough a hollow would be born. He wondered what this man had done to deserve this.

Yamamoto didn't answer. He kept looking down with almost sympathetic eyes at the youth. He gripped the staff even tighter as his face turned into a grimace while the soul kept screaming, screams turning into shrieks, "The Dark Years……are over" he whispered simply.

Aizen's eyes widened. The Dark Years…..over? What did that mean? Who was this man supposed to be….unless……unless he was…

"Soutaicho-san……is that….?" Aizen asked with a perfect fake disposition at worry. In truth, he was intrigued with this new discovery.

"Yes," Yamamoto answered simply.

The Dark Years of the Soul Society had been a time in which an unusual high rate of Hollows began to appear in the human world, making to Soul Society go into a state of alarm. Shinigami upon shinigami were sent to the human world, to deal with the Hollow souls, and many did not return. So many hollows had been born that even rookie shinigami, fresh from their Academy graduation, would be sent to fight the creatures. It truly had been horrible times. What made the hollows even more dangerous, was that an alarming seventy-five percent of the them had been criminals in their previous lives, which meant that they were stronger and much more corrupted. With so many evil hollows, in addition to other hollows, many souls had been devoured and in turn creating a drop in the amount of souls purified and sent to the Soul Society. It was soon after the start of these Dark Years that it came to the notice of the Soul Society that the reason behind this increase in hollows was because of a human, not only that, but a human with the powers of their distant cousins, the Grimm Reapers. This had become a major problem first, because Soul Reapers could not deal with the affair of humans and so couldn't personally deal with this criminal, and second, because it also involved a Grimm Reaper. What made it even more troublesome was that the Shinigami King of the Grimm Reapers' realm was not very fond of the Soul Reapers or the Spirit King and would not give aide to their troubles. As long as the Grimm Reapers were not harmed, they would not partake in the fighting. _Not that they would do any help_, thought Aizen to himself_. _

"That…child….is the reason for our troubles these last six years….Light Yagami," Yamamoto said turning away from the scene. He sighed and then shook his head, "This is too tiring for my age….Aizen you wouldn't mind getting rid of it would you?"

Aizen's brows arched in curiosity, "Of course not, soutaicho-san." How convenient, he hadn't even need to use Kyoka Suigetsu.

"He will be tough, but I'm sure you'll have no problems," Yamamoto said as he opened the Senkaimon, "We will have a meeting before revealing the news to the Sereitei,"

"That sure is cause for a celebration," Aizen said chuckling softly.

Yamamoto groaned and then stepped into the rift that lead to the Soul Society, "Guess so."

The Senkaimon closed as quickly as it had opened. Aizen was now alone and in the warehouse, with nothing but the shrieks of the man below. It was then that the shrieks turned to terrifying growls and howls. Aizen grinned as the boy began his metamorphosis into a monster. A white liquid-like substance seemed to explode from his body as if it was a small container that couldn't keep the liquid in. It began at the center of his chest, creating the hole that branded him as a hollow. He screamed, holding his head as the substance began to form a carapace around his body and a mask over his face. His body began to mold and grow into that of a Hollow, his limbs becoming longer, stronger and dangerous. The howling screams shook the warehouse, and Aizen couldn't help but smile even wider. He was a fantastical creature, the surge of reiatsu opening doors to a variety of possibilities as to how he could use this creature.

The mask that formed over his face resembled a demon. Two spiked horns formed atop the brow, connecting together at the center. A wide gruesome grin with an array of marble white fangs spread across the mask. But, in complete contrast to the intimidating sneer, it was very clear to whoever looked upon this creature that its eyes were filled with pure agony. Red marks ran down each cheek of the mask like tears in a human face. The creature now must have been over five meters high. Its muscular body had long powerful arms with dangerous claws. A shield-like armor covered its upper torso and shoulders. At the start of both of its side, three ribs curled around and joined at the back, and below the ribs the body became skinny until it reached its thighs were it once again became powerful limbs. A tail flicked back and forth, red marks staining the white color of the fifth limb like blood. The hollow was definitely an Adjuchas, a rare sight for a newborn, which also reflected the power of this creature.

"You poor, poor thing," Aizen's voice carried through the warehouse. He gracefully jumped from where he stood to stand at the ground floor. He looked up at the screaming Hollow and smiled once again, "You're unusually loud aren't you?" Aizen had picked up from the movements of the Hollow that he was in pain, which was strange because after their full change from sanity they would usually forget reason and feelings.

It was then that he heard the other's voice, "_MAKE_ _IT STOP!!! IT HURTS!! RYUK IT HURTS!!!_" he screamed.

Ryuk? So it seemed that the Grimm Reaper had more to do with this than what he had thought. Aizen looked up at the creature and then couldn't help but wonder what sort of pain he was going through. But then it came to him, "You used a Death Note didn't you? How unfortunate, but it isn't surprising for a human, they truly do not value life and death," he said with a sigh.

The hollow kept screaming, his arms extending out as if screaming up to the heavens, "PLEASE! PLEASE!!! STOP THIS, MAKE IT STOOOOOOP!!!!"

"Not so tough now are you, Kira?" he asked laughing brightly. He looked straight into the hollow's eyes and then smiled wickedly, "But be grateful, anyone other than me would have dispose of you at this very moment, and who else is better than I who can easily take away the pain," he said with a prideful twinkle in his eyes, "All for a price…..I hope you're understanding all of this," The hollow kept screaming, holding its head in agony. Aizen sighed and then unsheathed his sword, "You'll thank me later, I'll make sure of it,"

"Shatter, _Kyoka Suigetsu_," he whispered. As soon as he released his zanpakutou the creature's eyes settled on the blade and where instantly captivated by the hypnosis. The hollow stopped it's screaming looking at the sword with hollowed pain-stricken eyes. His body became more relaxed and his muscular arms slowly moved to hang in front of him.

Aizen noticed how night had fallen, making everything in the warehouse more ominous, older, and lifeless. He turned once more to the calmed creature, "Is that better?" he asked.

It didn't answer, instead it lowered its head quietly and stayed that way. How pathetic the creature was, once a so called "God" and now a lowly and weak demon, falling victim to its own doomed oblivion.

Aizen looked up at the moon high above the building. He tilted his head and then blinked. He smiled lightly and then chuckled, "Gin," he said, holding out the vowel of his subordinate's name in an almost playful manor, "What are you doing here?"

The fox like man appeared from above him, smiling wide at him, "I was worried" he said in a mocking tone.

Aizen arched an eyebrow and then chuckled, "So you've been here for a while huh?" he asked.

"I sure was….ya have somethin' up ya sleeve don't ya Sousuke?" he asked walking over to the other's side and also looking up at the fearsome creature before them, "What a ghastly fella,"

"He's going to be very useful for our little army?" Aizen said.

Gin looked at the other with a bright face and then wrapped his arms around him, "How sweet of ya, to consider it _our_ army," Gin chuckled, "Let's get back ta the Soul Society and celebrate the End of the Dark Years ourselves, shall we?" he said with a coy grin.

Aizen went ahead to return the other's smile, "You've given me no reason to refuse," he looked up at the hollow, "You should head on to Hueco Mundo," he simply said.

The creature nodded, "Yes, Aizen-sama," it said in a croaky low voice.

_So yeah. I hope you guys liked it. Send me some reviews as to things I could improve or words of encouragement in order for me to continue ^^ Also, just as a warning, there are so many wonderful yaoi pairings in the world of Bleach that I can't really have people stay faithful to one another. I know I know, I'm not trying to make characters whores, but there are certain characters, like Aizen, who have the power to have more than one lover. And I'm sure Gin will get jealous from time to time, which could rise some drama. Anyways, send me a review with your favorite pairings, tell me a few and maybe you'll get to see them in this fanfic ^^. I love making readers happy, that's why we do slashes in the first place right? In order to soothe fangirls' (and occasional fanboys') cravings. _

_Peace, holla. _


	2. Life After Death

_How's it going guys? Good? Good!(I hope). Well then, thank you to __**primaaryet**__ and __**Donatellolover**__ for their reviews. So in this chapter L makes his first appearance, yup. Just a fair warning, no one is as smart as L –sweatdrop- so umm if I make him sound stupid or do something you guys don't see as befitting for his character I apologize in advance._

_Also, there will be a lot of time skipping and going back in time between the chapters, but just to set the mood and to show the events leading to the rising action . You know, exposition can take a while, hehe…..please don't get bored Dx!! I really don't want to lose readers._

_On I go._

**Agony**

**Chapter 2: Life after Death**

For six long years L Lawliet had been chained to that man. Like the time when he still had his suspicion of Light and they worked side by side for a long period of time, the chain was unbreakable and for six years his soul was made to follow the man through his trial and tribulations. The only difference was that he was dead and Kira lived. He didn't know why he had been chained to his previous adversary, he didn't know and he didn't like it. It was like a slap in the face every time Light's eyes would look at him because in truth he was looking at nothing but thin air. Although their eyes met, Light did not notice L's presence there. He was nothing but the dead soul of a man who was once known as "the world's greatest mind," dead because he had lost to a single man's consumption over power. The shinigami had known he was there, but had never mentioned it to the human. It was only late at night, when Light would be in a deep slumber, that Ryuk would even speak to L.

When they spoke, it was only simple chatter that never lasted more than a few sentences. Really, what could they talk about? Well, truthfully it was Ryuk who did all the talking, L just sat where he was and listened, nodding or shaking his head. He had nothing to say to the shinigami, the root of all this chaos. And as time passed and L became witness to everything Kira did in order gain power, he couldn't help but remember those times before his death when Light had forgotten he had been truly Kira. It was like he had been freed from a sickness. A sickness…a consumption…..Kira was like a black plague taking over the body of an innocent man. And all because of an entity's selfish needs at amusement.

Now that L knew who the real culprit was. He couldn't do anything about it, but he sure as hell wasn't going to even exchange pleasant words with Ryuk.

Still, the night came when Ryuk began to try and explain himself to L.

"You know, I would tell him that you're here if you'd like, but it would only be troublesome because I would have to explain why," he had said, munching away at an apple. The crunch of his teeth against the soft skin of the fruit had become unbearable for L, who had had to listen to it almost every day of those six long years, "You'd be much better if a Soul Reaper just came and took you away to their little heaven," he added sighing.

L had once again paid no attention to Ryuk's talking, but after letting the words set in his mind a certain piece of information stood out to him, "Soul…Reaper?" he whispered in an almost inaudible voice.

But Ryuk quickly picked up the other's mumbling voice, "So you really can still talk, can't you?" he said with a snicker. After receiving a glare from L, Ryuk began explaining what he had meant.

He began by telling L that he and Rem, and all the other shinigami that carried Death Notes were not the only kind of Shinigami in the afterlife. In the human world a figure of their race was commonly known as the Grimm Reaper, a creature that comes to take away the life of humans. But in the Spirit World there were the Grimm Reapers and the Soul Reapers. There was that word again. Ryuk went on to explain that Soul Reapers where in charge of helping lost Souls to reach the Soul Society, where all Souls lived after being purified by a Soul Reaper. Souls that had had a peaceful death instantly went to the Soul Society, but those who had not achieved something in their previous life became wondering souls that could or could not fall prey to creatures called Hollows. These Hollows were souls that over a period of time were consumed by darkness or were changed because of their sins in their human life. Hollows were a threat to both human souls and the souls of the departed, because any soul with increased spiritual energy, Ryuk explained, would only be seen as dinner to these beasts. The only ways to purify or exorcise these damned souls were with the help of a Soul Reaper. Good souls turned Hollows would be purified and sent to the Soul Society and those who had committed horrible sins would be exorcised, and sent to Hell.

For the first time since his death, L listened intently to what Ryuk spoke of. As he assessed the information he came to realize that not only was Light affecting the human world, but he must also have been affecting the Spirit World. Killing criminals……this meant more dangerous Hollows that needed to be exorcised…..more souls to Hell and less to this so-called Soul Society. Like a plague, just like a plague, less and less souls would appear in the Soul Society which meant a decrease in population, and could maybe mean a decrease in Soul Reapers, and thus a decrease in the exorcism of dangerous evil Hollows. That sort of information……..would have made Light think more clearly about his actions. He had searched for a world with no evil, and yet if he kept killing these criminals the afterlife would only be affected negatively. If Hollows were also a threat to humans, then chaos would ensue greatly.

"Why are you telling me this?" he then asked looking up at the shinigami.

Ryuk looked down at L and simply grinned, like he always did, "Cause…..sooner or later your gonna end up a Hollow…..if a Soul Reaper doesn't get to you in time," he made a wheezing low sound that sounded like a laugh in order not to wake the sleeping Light, "But look at the bright side, if you do turn into one you'll probably get your revenge on Kira,"

L's monotonous look did not give away the slight worry that settled over him at that moment. Throughout the last few years as a soul haunting Light he had come to terms with the realization that if he ever could he did not want revenge. He wanted to save Light from Kira. That must be his goal, why he hadn't peacefully gone to the Soul Society. And with the information that Ryuk had given him and what he had calculated, then he would truly be able to help Light.

"Why haven't you told this to Light? This…..this could very well end his tyranny" he said biting on his thumb with a frustrated expression.

"I knew you'd figure it out, oh great detective," Ryuk laughed a little louder making Light stir in his bed, "I told Light before, I am neither his or your side, I am just here for my own amusement," he said wheezing once again, "And I have to admit, Light is an interesting human. If I told him all of that it'd be no fun and like you said, probably make him think twice of his actions, ending my amusement," he said with a grin, "Now, where is that basket of apples?"

It deeply angered L the level of selfishness this monster gave off. But of course, he wasn't going to show any of his emotions to the shinigami. If only there had been a way to tell Light, to let him know what he had done. This had been the perfect way to stop Light, to cure him of the Kira sickness, to allow him to stop using the Death Note and to understand the brutality of his actions. The real culprit of all of this had been Ryuk, the puppet master behind this sick ploy of amusement. God if only he had had the ability to let Light know the truth! But….how? He was nothing but the dead soul of Kira's previous enemy, he had lost, both his life and any chance of winning against Kira. Like a child, it angered him, the thought of not being able to change the outcomes of such events.

And so, days turned to weeks, weeks to months, months to years. It had seemed longer than six years. How many people had Light killed? L had tried counting, but he always lost count. He never even included those murdered before his death. Not only that, but he still remember when the pain began to start. It had been very sudden and unexpected. L had never felt such excruciatingly horrible pain. Had be begun the process of his change, his change into a Hollow? He had noticed the chain that had been connected to him for over a few years, starting to eat away at itself. It was a slow process, but painful all the way. He was changing into a monster. But it was his nature not to show emotion, and so he never did, even when Ryuk wasn't around. He never showed a sign of weakness to the shinigami, and truthfully, he didn't have to. Ryuk had noticed but he never said anything. Surprisingly, although a permanent grinned was spread across the shinigami's face, he looked almost somber whenever the chain would start shortening. L hated it, the sign of pity across the monster's face.

The day came when he first met a Soul Reaper, three years before Light's death. Light, along with his partner in crime and wife Misa, had been taking a break from their "investigation" and had taken a stroll over downtown. Light seemed disinterested and Misa babbled on about how wonderful things were in the small boutiques and how delicious the pastries in the cafes looked. Like the chained fool he was, he had to follow Light everywhere and L still remembered his mouth watering over the little cakes and pastries, but that was beside the point. Ryuk was there also, following in mid-air, his wings flapping up and down and from time to time exchanging words with Light and Misa. L, like always, kept quiet. But it was then that he noticed the man following. He had looked behind him to catch a better glimpse at this individual who looked like any normal human walking up and down the street. Ryuk had also noticed, but like always the selfish bastard did not tell Light. L's first impression of the man was that he was a policeman, sent to spy on Light and Misa. Shuichi Aizawa was still suspicious of Light so it wouldn't be surprising if he had sent a spy. Or maybe he worked for Near. He was sure his successor was doing splendid work, even though he had not yet revealed himself to the Japanese task force.

But, all thoughts of this man having any ties to being a spy diminished when he looked straight at L. This stranger _saw_ him there.

It was then that the man had taken from his pocket an interesting device, a tube like toy with the head of a rabbit. At the moment L had thought it was strange that any sort of man would carried around a toy like that. But then everything became even stranger. Squashing the head of the rabbit, L noticed a small pill had popped out and the man had snatched it and then placed it in his mouth. Swallowing the pill a sudden spark had flown through the body making L's eyes widen in astonishment. He looked at the other with curious eyes as body and soul had separated. The man had kept on walking like nothing had happened, but a new presence made its way over to L. The presence must have been the same as L, a soul, for nobody had paid any attention to him and not only that but he had looked just like the man walking with some differences. He had been dressed strangely, with a large straw hat and a pink kimono draped over what seemed like a black and white uniform. A handsome man, with long wavy dark hair and a thin line of facial hair around his mouth and chin. L had not uttered a word, he more than anyone had known not to judge a book by its cover. L deliberated that this must have been a Soul Reaper. In fact, Ryuk had made it clear this must have been one of the Grimm Reapers' distant cousin by muttering, "About time," with a low chuckle. It had not been what L had expected. Aside from the attire, he looked like any other human, nothing like the frightening Grimm Reapers.

Another wave of pain had settled over L at that instant, making him stop in his tracks and holding his chest. The chain, like before, had been slowly deteriorating. It lasted for a few seconds and then stopped. It had always been like this. Short and quick and painful. He had wondered how long would he last until he would finally turn.

Recovering from the pain he slowly looked up to notice the man had been standing over him. L didn't know what to say, but luckily the man had spoken first, "Hey there, it seems you're in a little bit of a pickle,"

L blinked at him and then with a blank face had looked at the floor, "Are you here to take me to the Soul Society?"

The man had looked at the other in surprise and then smiled, "Oh so you know about us?" he looked up and stared after Light, Misa and Ryuk, who had stopped to admire something outside a shop, "Oh…..the Grimm Reaper must have told you," he said scratching the back of his head. He then glanced down at L once more and sighed, "Actually I was just sent here to spy over Kira," he had said with a bored expression. So he really had been a spy, "But I guess it's my duty to konso you now,"

"No," L had answered quickly. He didn't know what "konso" has been at the moment, but since it had been the shinigami's "duty" he had quickly interceded the man's decision.

The man had given him a surprised expression. He looked L up and down and then his face had turned into a worried grimace, "Look, I saw you in pain, your soul chain won't probably last very long…….the Soul Society is a great place, food, water. I'm not gonna lie to you, the Rukongai can be a little harsh at times, but I see some potential in you, if you work hard you can even become a Soul Reaper," he had told L with encouragement.

"No," L had repeated. Looking intently at the Soul Reaper he shook his head and then frowned, "I….I can't leave yet," he had said, moving his gaze over to Light. He hunched his back and then shoved his hands into his pant pockets looking down at the floor.

The Soul Reaper had given L a soft look accompanied by a sigh, "You're a strange man…….I can see that you're chained to Kira, you have unfinished business with him, I get it…..but you do know that if you let it drag on….you'll be turned into a Hollow," he had warned with narrowed eyes.

L nodded, "Yes I know very well,"

The Soul Reaper had given L another inquisitive look and then had crossed his arms, "What's your name?" curiosity had fuel his question.

L had looked at the man with wide, blank eyes, "Ryuuzaki," he had answered, obviously using an alias.

The Soul Reaper, giving him a long studying look, seemed to have been trying to understand L's strange attitude. Smiling, the shinigami had then nodded, "All right, well then," turning away from the other he had said, "I'm glad I met you, I was bored anyways following around that Kira kid, so I'll be returning to the Soul Society now," he had said and as he said so a Japanese styled gate had appeared from the ground, the doors sliding open and light flooding out through the opening.

L had stared in wonder at the doors, thinking they must have lead to the Soul Society. But the small part of him that had always kept a childish disposition got the best of him, "It's rude that you didn't introduce yourself," L had said, looking as the man almost walked in through the doors with an irritated expression.

The shinigami had stopped, glanced back at L and then had laughed brightly, "My, my, how silly of me," he grinned, "Kyoraku Shunsui, 8th Division Captain of the Gotei 13," he had said looking at the other with a kind expression. Then he had chuckled once more and then turned, "But don't you think its rude lying to people?" he had said with an amused voice, "It was nice meeting you, _L_"

The doors closed and the gate disappeared. L remember standing there as the body of that man walked away, and he had concluded that whatever that little pill had been it had taken over the body while this Kyoraku Shunsui had come out. That sure had been an illuminating experience though, and L couldn't deny that fact that he was surprised with how intuitive the man had been. Either that, or they had had the same powers as Grimm Reapers and they were able to see people's names. Kyoraku Shunsui. He made sure to remember that name because sooner or later he was sure he would meet him once again. He had wondered what he meant by "Division Captain" and what the "Gotei 13" was. It only made L more curious as to what the Soul Society was and what he would find there whenever it was his time to go there. But he knew his time had not come yet. He had needed to stay a little longer, to follow Kira and to try and stop him and let Light know the truth behind his actions.

Unfortunately, that never happened.

Now at the present time he found himself still chained to the man who he had been chained to for six years. And that man was dying. Right before his eyes the life of his adversary….of a friend dare he say, was slipping. He had lost, and had lost without knowing the truth that L had learned about what Kira had created. The low breaths and the groans kept L there, watching with intense eyes as the man's loss began to take over his mangled body. When Light's eyes widened and his body seemed to tense and clench, L knew that his final minute of life began. It slowly ticked away, in a desolated warehouse, alone with no one else to be there for him. But L was there. Like when he himself had been dying he would be there, even if Light's emotions had been only a ruse then. L stood there, and he watched as the time began slowly fading for him. What would happen when he died? Would he also become a soul? Would he join L in the afterlife?

It was at that instant before Light's last breath that their eyes finally met.

"Light…." L whispered softly.

He couldn't bring himself to approach the other when the change began. Light had sat besides his dead body, groaning and holding at his chest. When the screaming began was when L noticed how quickly Light's own chain was shortening. Throughout the years, L's chain had become shorter and shorter at a slow, slow pace. He still even had some left, he calculated, to last him three more years. But the way Light's was eating away at itself at such a rapid speed, it pained him. The pain he knew very well, but to have to deal with it all at once. He didn't want to imagine. _Oh, Light. _The screams and shrieks continued and the way Light's agonizing screams carried through the warehouse made every fiber of L's being become petrified with fear. Fear. He had only felt such emotion once in his life before. Before his own death. And now here he was, witnessing the fate of a human tempted by the Death Note. Light had no chance, no second chance, it didn't matter if he had unfinished business. This was his fate, to become a monster, and to suffer through damnation.

The sight was unbearable, but L never looked away.

Then the Soul Reaper appeared. The voice of the man could be described as almost sympathetic, but there was an edge to it that made every hair on L's body stand at its end. The surge of power that then smashed over the warehouse like a tidal wave made him fall to his knees. What….power. He had never experienced this suffocating feeling. It wasn't pain like when the chain ate away at itself, just an immense amount of pressure that coursed through every gram of matter in that building. He lowered his head and then tried looking up to see what sort of entity could bring him down to his knees in such a way. He trembled as he inclined his head up to look upon the back of a man dressed in the very familiar clothes of a Soul Reaper with a white haori displaying the kanji for the number '5' on its back. This one wasn't as eccentric as Kyoraku. L could even go as far as to say that this man was very plain looking, his eyes hidden behind dark rimmed glasses and a set of light brown hair. But although the level of eccentricity did not match that of Kyoraku's, L was sure that the spikes of energy flowing through the warehouse had come from him. It was not only the strange way he carried himself, smug and righteous, but the tone of his voice. It was too….innocent. Fake. L had had years of experiences in his previous life reading people and it was such skill that had given him advantage over many of his cases.

"You poor, poor thing….you're unusually loud aren't you?" the man had spoken through the screams of the Hollow.

"_MAKE IT STOP!!! IT HURTS!! RYUK IT HURTS!!!"_

It didn't sound like Light, yet it made L's eyes widened at the pure agony coursing through those words. The voice was that of a monster, but L knew that behind the mask it was Light. The true form of Kira was now truly taking over him and giving him the pain he had deserved for becoming tempted by that damned shinigami's Death Note. L understood this was his punishment, and there wasn't much that he could do but sit and watch. When the Soul Reaper spoke once again, L's attention was placed towards him. The man spoke to the screaming creature with such a mild and placid nature that L would have been fooled into thinking there really wasn't a monster there. He also made it sound like it was a favor he was doing for Light, telling him he would have to repay him.

"Shatter, _Kyoka Suigetsu_,"

Looking at the blade as it seemed to disperse into tiny fragments, L couldn't help but feel a little dizzy and distraught. What had just happened? Why had his sword broken into tiny pieces glass like pieces? But whatever he had done had made the building go silent. L looked at the figure of the man, standing in front of a monstrously tall, and what seemed like, hypnotized creature. He had stopped screaming. This man had stopped his pain. L didn't know if he should be grateful or wary of this Soul Reaper but he was sure that whatever he had done had ceased the pain that the Hollow had been suffering. That Kira had been suffering. That Light….

The addition of yet another voice made L hide himself deeper into the shadows of the warehouse where he wouldn't be found. This new shinigami had the voice of a snake and the disposition of a fox. A grin spread wide over his almond shaped face, reminding L a little too much about a certain Grimm Reaper. His eyes were like simple slits against his face, so narrowed they almost appeared to be closed and his hair was the strangest shade of Silver, looking almost like a lavender color in the dark lighting. He was dressed in similar clothes to the first shinigami, the black and white Soul Reaper uniform, along with a white haori that, in contrast to the dark haired man, displayed the kanji for '3' on its back. From what L had heard, his name was Gin and the first shinigami's name was Sousuke. And the two of them seemed to have a relationship surpassing the title of "friends".

"You should head on to Hueco Mundo,"

"Yes, Aizen-sama,"

L's eyes widened as he heard the other's croak of a voice. This really wasn't Light Yagami any longer. He….he truly was dead. In his place was now a monster, void of any free-will, and under the power of a strange Soul Reaper with a suffocating surge of energy. Hueco Mundo. That was yet another phrase that made no sense to L. It irked him, not knowing things, not knowing what was happening. He was becoming more frustrated with the position he was in by the minute. His mind was searching for answers, trying to piece together a puzzle, yet all he knew about the present matter was that Light Yagami was dead, and there was nothing he could do about it.

Both Soul Reapers had left and so had the Hollow. A rift in dimensions had opened, and in the blink of an eye the Hollow disappeared.

"Light…."

_Light_.

He didn't know how long he had spent in that warehouse. All that he knew was that slowly his soul chain had begun eating away at what was left once again. This time he didn't flinch. He had seen the true face of agony and he was sure this could not be compared to what Light must have been suffering. Sitting in the shadows, alone for the first time in his death, was something he had not missed. He remembered very well the sleepless nights of cases he had become interested in. It would always involve him, in a dark room, the light of televisions and computers surrounding him, and the taste of sugary flavor after sugary flavor. It was his own version of isolation, confining himself from the rest of the world with the presence of Watari from time to time, stirring him into remembering there was a world outside of the iridescent and inorganic light of the screens. He couldn't deny he had enjoyed the loneliness. Yet, at this moment, he couldn't bring himself to remember the comfort of a dark room and screen lighting. He was completely alone. Even after his death he remembered having someone close, whether it be the detestable Ryuk or the blind Light and Misa who never saw him there. He would hear their voices and follow when left behind. Just a wandering ghost.

"I….never really stayed because I hadn't accomplished something," L said to himself, thinking that maybe the sound of his voice would soothe him, "It was the loneliness….I didn't want to be alone any longer," even the whisper echoed through the building.

"You don't have to be,"

Looking up to peer into the familiar chocolate brown eyes of Kyoraku Shunsui was both relieving and saddening. He must have looked like a mess, sitting by himself in the darkest of corners, the bags under his eyes bigger than ever, and his black hair tangled into dark tendrils.

"Come on, let's get you to the Soul Society," Kyoraku whispered. Shrugging off the pink haori, he placed it over the weak-willed L. Then he went ahead and began lifting the soul of the ground where he had sat.

L flinched at the touch of the other man while being picked up. He was cradled against the captain's chest, almost like a lost child, "Souls like you aren't usually taken directly to the Sereitei…..but I think you've been through enough," he said softly as the Japanese gates appeared. They opened and the light flooded out. The light was so comforting, like the light of the screens, shunning away all of the darkness of that damned warehouse.

L looked up at the man and then pondered on whether or not he should tell Kyoraku of what he had seen earlier, of the two shinigami. But he didn't know if the other would believe him. With the last bit of strength he had he calculated that if that man's sword could hypnotize the Hollow then it could also hypnotize other shinigami. It was a wild thought out of the top of his head, but the weakness was taking over a better part of him.

"Thank you….Kyoraku-san," L whispered as he leaned against the man's chest.

Kyoraku simply smiled, "No need for thanks, I already heard what had happened from Yamamoto……about Kira…….I wanted to see for myself if you were still alive," he said stepping through the Seinkaimon, "Guess I underestimated you, kid,"

Kid. L didn't know if he should be irritated or blissful. Being treated like a child wasn't something he was very fond of, but in truth, he had never had a normal childhood.

He wondered if this was what it felt like to have a father. He'd had Watari with him, but Watari had been nothing more than a friend, a trusty-worthy hand to help him whenever he needed assistance. L had never seen him as a father, just as someone he could trust. The only person he could trust.

"Yeah, I shouldn't be underestimated," he said almost unconsciously.

_Okay. So what did you guys think? I thought it was appropriate for Kyoraku to be the one to meet L, cause they are like polar opposites of each other, yet I feel like they would get along. And also, Kyoraku is simply such a caring person, and putting aside his laziness and drinking habit, I think he would be an exceptional father ^^ cause he's a sweetie-pie._

_Peace, holla_


End file.
